For some people, book displays refer to bulletin boards in a library or are a reason to bring out craft supplies and design a variety of embellishments for the display. As I say every time I speak about book displays, the books should be the focus of your display. The purpose is to market your collection and get the books unshelved and into the hands of readers. I have seen book displays with so many decorations that the books actually blended into the background instead of popping out.
Even in retail bookstores where publishers provide cardboard displays or signage, the books remain the focus. Take some time to walk around your local big bookseller as well as those indie bookstores. You will see piles of books and books on easels, rather than elaborate paper cutouts and tons of display material unless it is also for sale. This is usually the case, even during the holidays.
My recent post about the LaGrange Public Library (IL) shows a great way to use signage to highlight what the display is about and provide more information for patrons who are interested. Use a sign to link to an eBook shelf/display with read alikes or books on the same subject. You can also add a QR code to a blog post or additional resources.
Another benefit to keeping things simple is that if the display empties out a few times, you can change it out without a lot of fuss. There won't be excessive decor to take down and have to replace. Instead you can switch out the sign, remove any remaining books, and get the new display up quickly.
Since the primary reason we are putting up displays is to showcase backlist (older books) titles and those titles that need more attention to find their reader, the books should always be the star.
No comments:
Post a Comment